Fence posts



m w H March 19, 1957 A. a. MCKENZIE FENCE POSTS Filed Sept. 27, 1955 FENCE rosrs Albert George McKenzie, Tnorak Gardens, South Australia, Australia, assignor of three-fourths to Jack Fullerton Becker, Springfield, South Australia, Australia Application Sreptember 27, 1955, Serial No. 537,067 Claims priority, application Australia September 28, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 256-49) This invention relates to improvements in and to fence posts and in particular it relates to posts formed of concrete or similar material suitably reinforced in any way to give the required strength.

It is already well known to form posts of concrete or the like with reinforcing but it is customary to provide holes through the posts through which the wires of the fence are located.

A difficulty existing with present day construction is that should the post break, particularly where it is weakened by a hole therethrough, it is necessary to cut the wire to remove the post and substitute another.

The known devices are also open to the disadvantage of chafing of the Wires where they pass through the posts, resulting in removal of the galvanising or the like, and also where a post is apertured in any way there is a danger of rust forming adjacent or in the aperture and thus causing deterioration of the post and the wire.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved post which will not be open to these disadvantages, this being achieved by having holding members projecting from one face of the post into which the fencing wires may be engaged, said holding members being adapted to take locking means to confine the fencing wires in the holding members.

A secondary feature of the invention is the interengaging or the integral formation of transverse wire holding members with longitudinal reinforcing, while yet another feature is the arrangement of the wire holding members in such a way that the wire is normally kept clear of the post and chafing against the post is therefore prevented.

It will be realised that the actual construction of the invention may be considerably varied but to enable it to be fully understood an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a post,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the post with parts broken away and shown in section,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view with parts broken away and shown in section, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of part of the wire reinforcing.

As illustrated, the post 1 is formed of concrete and has the members 2 (which engage the wires 3 of the fence shown dotted in Figs. 3 and 4) projecting from the one face 4 of the post. Each of the members 2 comprises loops 5 on the ends of a pair of transverse wires 6 and 7 which are disposed in the post 1 to project from one side thereof, the loops 5 projecting into the post a snflicient distance that both parts thereof will be engaged in the post so that an eye 8 is formed, two such loops 5 being disposed one above the other to leave a space 9 therebetween to take a fencing wire 3 as shown, this fencing who being then locked in position by dropping a locking wire 10 (see dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4) through the eyes 8 of the loops 5 to confine the fencing wire in nited States Patent 0 the space 10 outside of the post between the two loops 5.

The wires 6 and 7 extend well into the post 1, but bend towards each other Where they enter the post 1 to form between them the horizontal space 9 in which the fencing wire 3 is located as described.

By forming the space 9 between the wires 6 and 7 in this way the bends 11, where the wires converge, will serve to limit inward movement of the fencing wire 3 towards the face 4 of the fence post 1 to prevent the wire 3 chafing on the post and thus damaging the fencing wire.

The wires 6 and 7 are welded at the intersections with the longitudinal reinforcing wires 12 which extend down the post 1, but they may be hooked or otherwise fixed. The wires 12 are disposed on the centre line of the post as shown, one near each face thereof, so that the wires 6 and '7 of each group lie one on each side of the longitudinal reinforcing wires 12 but looped back outside of the post into the plane of the other wire of the set, this thus forming a pair of vertically aligned loops 5 at each fencing wire locality, but spaced apart a sumcient distance to take the fencing wire 3 because of the bends 1t and allowing the fencing wire 3 to be held by passing the locking wire 13 through the outer part of the loops 5 and thus outside of the fencing wire 3.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that a simple and effective post is provided which has no apertures therethrough but which has on one side a series of loops 5 arranged in pairs at the fencing wire localities to give spaces 9 into which the fencing wires 3 may be pushed and locked by the wire 10 to hold all of the fencing wires 3 at their correct spacings.

By this arrangement a post can at any time be replaced by simply withdrawing the locking wire 10 to release the fencing wires 3 and after the new post has been positioned the locking wire 10 will again hold the fencing wires 3 in position thereon.

As said the actual construction of the invention may be varied such as by arranging the spacing or loop forming wires independently of the longitudinal reinforcing wires or replacing these by stamped apertured members which could be threaded on to the longitudinal reinforcing wires to form a slot for each fencing wire, provision being made for the insertion of the locking wire, or of course such members may be utilised in a post quite independently of longitudinal reinforcing wires and in fact a post might in some cases be constructed of material which would not require the longitudinal reinforcing wires and in that case the fence holding wires could be secured in the post in any suitable manner.

What I claim is:

A concrete fence post comprising an elongated body of concrete having four elongated faces, elongated reinforcing wires longitudinally disposed in said body, relatively short transverse wires secured to said reinforcing wires within said body to project from one face of said body in diverging pairs, each transverse wire having a configuration which defines a horizontally disposed loop or eye outside of the said body, the loops or eyes on said pairs of transverse wires defining a space therebetween, for a fencing wire which decreases near the post, and a removable locking wire to fit through all of the said eyes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 766,550 Stultz Aug. 2, 1904 781,514 Gray Jan. 31, 1905 790,074 Northam May 16, 1905 824,562 Miller June 26, 1906 964,470 Hart July 12, 1910 1,322,802 McPhail Nov. 25, 1919 1,431,321 Mohrbacher Oct. 10, 1922 

